1760. Smollett, Greaves, iii. They would have come to points immediately had not the gentlemen interposed.
1779. Sheridan, Critic, ii. 1. When history . . . furnishes anything like a case in point . . . an author will take advantage of it . . . It is a received point among poets that . . . you may fill up with a little love at your own discretion.
1790. Bruce, Source of Nile, i. 371. Many disadvantages in point of climate.
1814. Wordsworth, Excursion, vi. Our Swain, A very hero till his point was gained.
1819. Grenville, Memoirs, 3 Feb. Both her letters and her conversation are full of point.
1830. Southey, Bunyan, 42. He maintained, which indeed was the point at issue, that the opinions held that day by the Quakers were the same that the Ranters had held long ago.
d. 1832. Crabbe, Works, i. 93. Not one grief was pointed by remorse.
1841. D'Israeli, Amen. of Lit., ii. 352. An epigram now is a short satire, Closing with a point of wit.
1843. Macaulay, Clive [Century]. Shah Alum had invested Patna, and was on the point of proceeding to storm.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, iii. I . . . found her there At point to move.
1847. Bronte, Jane Eyre, xi. I suppose the point of the exhibition lay in hearing the notes of love and jealousy warbled with the lisp of childhood; and in very bad taste that point was.
1870. Medbery, Men and Mysteries of Wall St., 83. If the operator has a good point, he has a sure thing . . . In other words, . . . a bit of secret information concerning a stock, whether an extra dividend to be declared, a bull movement organizing, an emission of new shares to take place, or some other cause at work, or likely to be at work, which will seriously affect prices.
1883. American, vi. 383 [Century], Any average Eton boy could give points to his Holiness in the matter of Latin verses.
1884. New York Herald, 4 Nov. I will give him a pointer that will be of great benefit to you in your business.
1888. New York Mercury, 7 Aug. All things taken into consideration, there never was a bolder voyage over the Atlantic than this made by the 'Romer,' all for the sake of a few points in news.
1888. Denver Republican [Americanisms]. There is a big pointer for those gentlemen who cannot restrain their sporting proclivities in these sentences.
1888. Pittsburg Times, 26 Jan. Boiled down to a fine point, bondsmen are in demand.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 23 Sep., 2, 1. The smallest chit of a dressmaker's apprentice could give her points about modern dress and its present rational tendency.
1892. Ally Sloper's Half Holiday, 19 Mar., 94, 2. Harry Payne is a clown of the old school, 'tis true; but still he can give points and an easy licking to most, if not all, of his modern rivals.
1901. Daily Tel., 19 Oct., 7, 1, 2. Would any person who was not mad say he was not himself? I have made my point.
Pointer, subs. (American).—1.
See Point.
2. (venery).—The penis: see Prick, and cf. Sportsman's Toast.
Point-of-attraction, subs. phr.
(venery).—The female pudendum:
see Monosyllable.
1782. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satyrical, 184. Beneath, where in centre Love buckles her Zone, The Point of Attraction we place.
Poison, subs. (common).—1. Drink; tipple (q.v.). Nominate your poison = 'What will you drink?': cf. quot. 1362, where poyson = a draught, a drink.
1362. Langland, Piers Plowman, C. xxi. 52. And with a pole poyson putten to hus lippes, And beden hym drynke.
d. 1641. Suckling, Brennoralt, ii. 1. Mar. Come, your liquor and your stanzas . . . Vil. Since it must be, Give me the poison then. [Drinks and spits.]
